Early history The presence of a
chapel in this place is testified by a
charter dated 1134 and signed by
Godfrey I, Count of Louvain, in which he donated a chapel erected ("outside the fortified centre of Brussels") to the
Benedictine monks of the Abbey of the Holy Sepulcher of
Cambrai, who immediately founded a
priory there. The creation of this second parish indicates that, already at that time, a large population had settled along the old Roman road, which would become the /, beyond the ramparts and the Steenpoort. The southern part of the
transept and the Chapel of the Holy Cross were built around 1215–1225 in a Romanesque-
Gothic transitional style. They were followed by the northern part of the transept and its two chapels around 1250. The choir (1250–1275), perhaps the finest achievement of 13th-century architecture in Brussels, reflects a transitional style of
French influence. The building was surmounted by a tower at the
crossing of the transept and the nave. The work was completed in the course of the 13th century.
Damage and restoration Dedicated to
Our Lady, the church enjoyed significant success and a hesitant destiny. In 1405, a fire destroyed the non-
vaulted parts, in particular the central nave, which was covered with a flat ceiling. The nave was rebuilt in the
Brabantine Gothic style and enlarged with side chapels. In 1574, the church was ransacked by
Calvinists who destroyed its furnishings. Reformed in 1579, it returned to Catholic worship in 1585. In 1695, part of the structure was damaged during the
bombardment of Brussels by the
French army as part of the
War of the Grand Alliance. It was restored from 1699 to 1708. On that occasion, the spire of the west tower was replaced by the current
Baroque slate bell tower, designed by the local architect . In 1751, a
sacristy was built to the south of the choir. The church closed in 1797, under the
French regime, and reopened in 1803. The church has been restored several times: starting in 1866, continuing in the 1930s, and again in 1989, during which time an archaeological reconstruction aimed at restoring the original state of the different building phases. It was designated a
historic monument on 5 March 1936. Nowadays, it is the parish church of the Polish Catholic community in Brussels. In a side chapel, an
icon of
Our Lady of Częstochowa is venerated. File:PuttaertKapellekerk.png|The Chapel Church in 1863, etching attributed to Émile Puttaert File:Bruxelles à travers les âges (1884) (14760603521).jpg|Rear view of the church in 1884 from
Bruxelles à travers les âges ==Description==